Awakening Spirits
by Pegasicorn
Summary: Almost a year past the Dark Tournament's end, all has been pretty boring for Yusuke. That is, until a transfer student arrives, then things start getting..interesting. Traces of demon energy keep appearing? The new guy's name is spirit energy?
1. 11 12 04 Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** Me…? Own an anime…? ::explodes into fit of laughter:: XD Yeah! As if!

**A/N:** The Pegacorn has returned!! ::fireworks go off:: Yep, it's true, I have not died! Though, I'll admit, 5 months with no updating _is_ a long time. Gomen nasai, minna-san. Hope you can forgive a lazy otaku. :)

But, good news! As you can see, it's a new story! Unless you've never read any of my writing before, that is; in which case, welcome to my world! MWAHAHAHA! ::cough:: Eh heh.. ::sweatdrops:: Gomen. XS Don't wanna scare any newcomers off, so I'll shut up and let you guys read.

This fic is of much better quality than my other ones (It _should_ be, considering I proof-read it I don't know how many times... Y.Y'), so I hope you like! :)

Enjoy!

****

Awakening Spirits

By Pegacorn (AKA Lisa)

Prologue: From Nightmares to Rude Awakenings

Midnight…

Stars dance through the sky, unseen through the clouds curtaining them…

Darkness…

Moon normally illuminating the night, painted black, tonight being the new cycle…

Vermillion streaks decorate the alleyway, spilled across the asphalt as puddles…

Blood…lots of it, freshly spilled, slowly spreads from open wounds…

Two bodies lay almost motionless, their last strength ebbing away to nothing fast, slashes marring skin that is quickly becoming cold…

Eyelids quiver…

…Two once-glowing suns, golden-hazel eyes --life dimming from them-- slowly open…

…joined by a second, clouded pair, surrounded by a mane of golden locks --now matted with crimson-- that once shone like the full moon…

An evil laugh rings out, disturbing the chilled, night air --beginning low and raucous, becoming insane with power at the thought of the owner's deed to soon be complete…

…Murder…

…Killings…

…The trades of a hired assassin…

His payment would be generous once he finished with these two… Not to mention what he'd receive after wiping out their little brat…

A wicked smirk alights his fanged mouth at that thought, the evil smile reaching his blood-maroon eyes, their pupils devilish slits…

Crazy laughter creates a chill once more as he unsheathes a hidden dagger to raise above his head…

With lazy strides, he approaches the pair --taunting them with his slow gait, death's apprehension thick around them--

And stops before the gold-haired head, the woman's lime-green eyes clouded with her inevitable fate…

The blade raises high--

"…No…!" The golden-eyed man's choked voice cries out as he watches on helplessly, unable to help the female, his injuries too great.

--It is too late… The knife comes down…

…A high-pitched scream…!

---

With a quick intake of breath, he was awake --eyes snapping open as he sat up with a start. Cold sweat plastered his sand-colored bangs to his forehead, and his breath was released in pants. Out of habit, a hand ran its fingers through the strands in front of his strange-colored, hazel eyes --those same eyes closing as he battled to regain control of his breathing.

Finally, his gasping ceased, and heart rate returned to normal. Releasing the grip on the locks that rested on his forehead, he re-revealed his irises with a sigh. _'Damn it… Not that dream again…'_ This obviously hadn't been the only time within his life that he'd dreamt that event. It had happened many times before, each time being as much a heart-stopper as the last, but never had there been quite as much detail as there was this time. Usually, the graphics of the situation would be very brief, and quite blurred, happening too rapidly to identify any single characteristic.

It was a wonder as to why tonight made such a difference with that vision. Especially since the last time he'd had the dream…

…was two months ago…

Sighing once again, he moved his gaze to his left to look at the digital clock on his bedside (more like futon-side) table. The glowing, red numbers read 6:54 AM, and if the dim, blue light streaming in through the window wasn't enough to tell, the sun would be rising soon.

…He'd also be getting up for school in about 5 more minutes…

With a groan, he flopped backwards onto his futon bed once again, hoping to catch a few more winks before his annoying alarm would start on its mission to drive him insane. He hated that thing, but it was the only way he'd manage to get up on time, because if left uninterrupted, he could end up sleeping half the day away. Maybe even longer, if he tried…

But no. He couldn't do that today. He had school to attend. The first day at his new high school, actually…since he and his family had moved here a few days ago…

…from America…

Ah, how he'd miss living there… Or maybe he wouldn't… After all, he'd lived in a small town (Well, not _that_ small, but small enough so that no one heard of it before.) on the east coast, and in the past eleven years of his life he'd been there, nothing really eventful had taken place.

Well, ok, so he _had_ learned English (Rather efficiently, really…), and improved his Japanese by taking that as his language class for the last two years. Plus, there were those five years of martial arts, and kendo lessons, he had taken, rendering him capable of killing a guy in a dozen different ways. Not that he _would_, of course! It just felt good to have the knowledge of being able to do so. To have that kind of power. Especially if one appeared to have the build of a toothpick most of the time.

His brow crinkled in thought. Where was he going with these thoughts…? _'Ah, who cares…' _His mind began to wander along a different path._ 'Shouldn't the alarm be going off soon…?'_ As if the device had mind-reading powers, it began to fulfill its purpose in life…

…Being annoying beyond belief until someone flipped the off switch.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Another groan. _'Ugh… Way to jinx it, baka!' _Pulling the pillow over his head to try to muffle some of the noise, he began his usual morning's ritual chant in his mind to start the day, _'Just. Drop. Dead. You. Evil. Satanic. Thing. You.'_ Oh, yeah. It was a daily ritual, all right.

Too bad it never worked…

Since his current method of noise-stifling seemed to be failing, he tried to turn as far away from the devil's device as humanly possible…

…So he settled for facing the wall with the covers also pulled over his head.

It wasn't long before the sound of flip-flops on the wooden floor could be heard ascending the stairs --slow, but determined-- and stopped dead outside his door.

A resounding knock sounded on said door, before creaking open a second later. A pair of cool, blue eyes, surrounded by a head of chocolate-brown hair peeked its way through the recently formed opening.

A feminine voice called out, "Reiki, dear, aren't you going to get up?" It was warm as a summer day at the beach, and just as inviting.

…But not inviting enough to convince Reiki to crawl out of bed. Instead, he settled for grumbling an answer, too muffled to understand through the sheet and pillow, but roughly translating to something along the lines of, "…Let me think about that…" --Pause-- "…No."

The woman just shook her head in slight amusement before opening the door a bit wider to completely enter his bedroom. "Oh, come on now. You don't want to be late on your first day of school here, do you?"

'…Why not?'

She stepped over to the futon bed Reiki was currently occupying, and promptly ceased the alarm clock's shrill calling.

Ah, the thing had finally been knocked out! But that only meant one thing…

The covers were suddenly snatched from his grip, revealing his curled-up, pajama-clad form lying on the mattress. He quickly tightened his death-hold on the pillow over his head to keep it from being made to leave, too.

Sure enough, a tug-of-war was started when she tried to claim it from his possession. She huffed in annoyance and released her struggle on it.

Yes! Victory was his!

"Well, if _I_ can't convince you to get up, then maybe _Bandit_ can…"

Reiki tensed. '_Oh, crap. Not the devil-cat! Anything but that!'_

Bandit was the family cat. And although he was just a kitten of six months old, he could be very mischief. His favorite thing to do, it seemed, was to leap onto Reiki's head, firmly grip his hair until the boy had tears in his eyes, and refuse to move unless convinced to with treats or threats. Whichever came first. …Usually, it'd be the threats --the ones that came from Reiki were the most effective, it seemed.

Deciding that he didn't need more damage done to his hair (His bangs stuck up enough!) from repeating one of those "sessions", he removed the pillow from his head and slowly sat up with a sigh. "All right, all right, I'm up…" --Running his hand through his bangs once again-- "Gees, Mom, how'd you get to be so evil?"

With an amused chuckle, his mother answered with a "Oh, believe me, I get plenty of practice…" before turning to leave her son's room. She stopped at the door, half-whirling her head around. "Hurry up and get ready. Breakfast is starting to get cold, and I don't expect to have to reheat it…" With that, she slipped back into the hallway, closing the door behind her as she left to go back downstairs.

---

_So_, what did you think? An ok start? I hope so. Did it show signs of humor, as I planned? I'd really like it if you guys let me know. All reviews will be much appreciated, and constructive criticism is cool. Just don't go flaming for no reason, and I'm good! :D

I wasn't actually planning on posting this now. I was hoping to finish typing the whole story first, and then have weekly updates. But I just couldn't resist! XD This story was practically _begging_ to be posted, so I had to oblige! ..Just don't expect updates to occur too frequently. After all, I _am_ pretty lazy, and I _do_ have a short attention span when it comes to fics. So, just bear with me. :)

Okers. You can hit that purple review button now.

...Or not. It's your choice.

-Pegacorn-


	2. 11 25 04 Concussions

**Disclaimer:** … :blink: I got nothing to say, so let's just skip it…

**A/N**: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone:) I planned on posting this yesterday actually, but, ya know... ff. net was having probs... -.- :shrugs: Ah well. They happen...  
Anyways, this is prolly the fastest update you'll see coming from me for this story, cuz this chap has been done for awhile now. The next chap isn't even done yet... Having a little trouble getting past a certain part...  
Also, the school that gets mentioned is supposed to be Kurama's. If anyone knows the name of it, and notices I got it wrong, can you please correct me? Arigato. :)

And now...chapter 1.

Enjoy!

****

Awakening Spirits

By Pegacorn (aka Lisa Bako)

Chapter 1: Concussions…A Great Way to Start the Day!

_'I wonder what this new school will be like…'_ That single thought continued to swirl around inside his head as he continued to get ready.

Since Reiki didn't yet have any school uniforms, which were required at his new school, he had to settle for dressing in a different way. Not wanting to look like a slob, he opted for a pair of black jeans and a light blue, button-down shirt, leaving the top button undone so he wouldn't feel like he was being strangled. He had yet to figure out what shoes he'd wear (which would most likely be a pair of sneakers), but for now, that could wait.

Right now, his focus was placed on his hair. And _boy_, did he have a lot of it!

Currently, when he had it down, it was long enough to reach his _waist_. Many a time had his parents pestered him to get it cut. His father would always beg him to do so, because he was tired of people always complimenting on how lovely his "daughter" looked.

…Alas…Reiki would always refuse to comply… He'd been growing it for years, he'd always say; it would be such a shame to throw all that effort down the drain.

Accepting that their son was just too _stubborn_ to be persuaded,his parents decided to compose a deal… As long as Reiki's hair didn't start to get all "out of control", and he kept it looking tidy, then fine, he could keep growing it out.

…Needless to say, the boy managed to keep it in good shape.

There went his parents' clever plan…

At that thought, the teenager allowed a small grin of amusement to take residence upon his visage. _'I bet that when I reach the kitchen that they'll pick up from where they left off yesterday with that routine of theirs…'_ With smile still adorning his features, Reiki slowly shook his head in in the slightest of mock annoyance. He found great humor in how persistent his mom and dad were in still "subtly" trying to convince him, even after the "non-haircut deal"…especially since that no matter how many times their son would stubbornly refuse to comply, Reiki's parents would stubbornly insist on continuing the usual protocol.

…Well…at least he knew where he'd picked up that trait from…

Refocusing his attention back to the mirror in front of him above the dresser, Reiki got back to the task at hand…

Dealing with his hair.

He'd already managed to get out the tangles --though that was never a difficult task, since his hair hardly ever picked up any. Now, all that was left to do was to put it up in his trademark, low-ponytail. He knew _exactly_ what he would tie it up with, too…

Smiling fondly, as if at a pleasant memory, his hand inched toward the dresser in front of him, expecting to find a certain ribbon, only to have his fingers come in contact with…

…empty wood…

…Blink…blink… _'Wha…?'_

Allowing his gaze to drift downward, Reiki's face soon gained a look that was something akin…to shock.

_'Where is it? I could've **sworn** it was here on the dresser a minute ago!'_ He moved to crouch on the wooden floor, planning to initiate his search mission--

"Mraow!"

He jumped, causing his skull to come in contact with the metal handle of the top drawer with an audible "_crack!"_.

"Ow!" A hand moved to assess the damage --Reiki winced as he touched the bump forming on the back of his head. Luckily enough, there was no red stain on his fingers… But…

'Damn… **That hurt!**'

This brought a sudden thought to his head…

…What was that sound that startled him?

Revolving his gaze to behind himself --Reiki was certain the noise had emanated from there--, his question was answered. Lounging comfortably in front of the desk on the boy's gray computer chair was a cat. A half-grown black cat with an orange right-ear and left-forepaw, gazing at the teenager with its bright blue eyes, full of amusement.

At once, Reiki's vision narrowed to slits. "_You…!_"

Fiery orbs narrowed in return, feline mouth resembling a smirk, as if to say, _"Yes…Me."_ And in the grip of those small fangs…was a blue ribbon…

Sharp hazel-green eyes caught sight of said ribbon, only to widen in shock. "My ribbon!" An accusing stare was set on the kitten. _'So that's why it wasn't on the dresser!'_

"_Bandit…_" The little animal grew a bit tense at the sternness in that tone of voice. "You took my ribbon…_didn't you?_"

Another thinned gaze, plainly saying, _"You figured all that out by yourself, Einstein…?"_ was the response he received.

Reiki was positively seething. Any chance of going through today with a good mood was completely gone by now. The only chance his thinned temperament had to improve would be if something really good were to happen…and that didn't seem likely. What the boy _did_ see taking place in the near future was--

He lunged at the feline, with every intent of finishing the creature off --the cat scampering away with a screech, out the door, down the stairs, with a fuming human rampaging behind him.

--the death of the devil-cat.

---

_'Man, do I hate school…'_

This was the general train of thought for the punk-looking youth, raven hair slicked-back, the expression on his face set in a grim pout. He more than looked like he'd rather be going anywhere else than his current destination.

Meiou Private Academy.

It was amazing that he was even going there. Meiou was one of the top high schools in Tokyo; just passing the entrance exam alone required a high IQ, brains, and intellect --three traits of which should never even be mentioned in the same _sentence_ as the youth's name, which just happened to be--

"Yusuke!"

The boy --named Yusuke-- lifted mahogany-brown eyes to meet the amber-brown gaze of the girl who'd been walking a few feet in front of him. Only now, she was more around ten or fifteen feet ahead, stride halted so that she was turned around completely to face him. If the look on the brunette's face was anything to go by, one could say she was none too pleased about her companion's lagging pace.

"Yusuke, would you hurry up?" The annoyed tone was perfectly clear. Keeping her grip on her brown book bag, the girl stood facing Yusuke with the other hand fisted on the waistline of her red skirt --the bottom half of her school uniform, matching the sailor-shirt top. "At this rate, we're going to be late. Something I don't wish to have added to my record."

Huffing in annoyance as he stopped not far from her, Yusuke merely shoved his hands into his green pants' pockets --his button-up, long-sleeve shirt being of the same color (not to mention that his outfit was the _wrong_ color, seeing as the assigned shade for school uniforms was magenta)-- careful to keep his own briefcase-like bag (just like the girl's) tucked securely under his arm, "Oh, come _on_, Keiko! It's not like you're usually late in the first place; one time isn't gonna kill you."

Keiko mirrored her friend's annoyed huff, "I didn't _say_ it would, but as class representative, it's my responsibility to set an example for the rest of the student body!"

Having already started walking again, "Yea, yea…whatever…" the black-haired boy slowly trotted past the seething girl.

Turning to stomp after him, she continued her verbal assault. "Don't give me that!"

Keiko received no response from the boy. Only silence.

"Yusuke, are you listening to me?"

Again…no response. In fact…it seemed he chose to speed up.

"Yusuke!" She tried to regain his attention…to no avail.

All the while, Yusuke was thinking as his jog broke into an easy run (easy for him, at least), _'Oh, the heck with it! I'll take school any day if it means avoiding one of Keiko's punkcha-whatever lectures!'_ (He means punctuality.) Lucky for him, he only had to face her in three periods. Lunch. Gym. And biology. He could eat lunch on the roof, no problem. And with gym…well, he didn't usually bother with gym. Who needed it anyway? Biology would be more of a problem, but he could always cut for the day. All he had to do now, was get away from her. Maybe when he'd have to pass the corner…

"YUSUKE!"

He winced. That was not a pleasant tone. But… Yes! There was the corner. The one with those tall bushes that served as a fence for whoever's house they were passing. Yusuke's run broke into a sprint as he approached the corner, getting ready to make the sharp turn--

WHAM!

"_Ack!_"

Thud!

…No one said things were ever that easy…

---

Easy to guess what happened there... X) Hehe... XD Okers. On to the review responses!

**-Itsuki the Gatekeeper: **I will. Thanks:)

**-Akahana:** :blink: You do? o.0 Heh..talk about your crazy coincidences.. :D

**-Sapphire Angel:** Yep. Reiki. Not literally "spirit energy" (though it does mean that). Even though I can be evil, I'm not cruel enough to do that. ;)

3 reviews... That's more than usually get on first chapters, which is just _sad_... T.T But it did boost my ego for a while there, which can be a good way to encourage me to write faster... :hinthint:) Hopefully, I'll get chapter 2 done quickly and not make you guys have to wait out my usual 2 month updating pace... :swirly eyes: That would just be evil of me...  
Well, til next time then.

-Pegacorn (Oh! I forgot to mention! If you go to my bio, you'll find links to fanart I have done for this story. So far, I've drawn Reiki and the devil-cat... Enjoy. ;))


	3. 12 17 04 Intros

**Disclaimer:** ::sarcastically:: Yea, I own it. Thas why I'm writing fanfiction for no profit at all instead of turning it into part of the anime… Heh…I wish… T T

**A/N:** Well, I'm back! Took a a bit longer this time, but then, I have good excuses! First off, I hit a mountain within this chapter. I knew where I wanted to go, but the path was steep and covered with roots... Luckily, once I climbed it, the rest was all an easy downhill walk. Heh, first time I've been able to come up with a good metaphor spur of the moment. :D  
Ok, my second reason was... I was working on college applications last week and the beginning of this week! Not fun... T.T; Glad it's over with. Now, all I gotta do is wait and hope I'm accepted... - -  
Okers then. Guess I'll leave all the chapter expplanations for the end. For now, though, here's chapter 2.

Enjoy!

Awakening Spirits

By Pegacorn (aka Lisa Bako)

Chapter 2: Send. In. The Intros!

…Annoyed…

…Irritated…

……Pissed…

No other words could describe the sand-haired boy's mood any better. In fact, he didn't even think _those_ words did his attitude any justice. It was more like,…he was _irked_.

Yea…"irked" seemed to be the _perfect_ adjective in this case. It was short, and to completely to the point; anyone would understand it.

If Reiki were to tell someone about his day so far --to think, it was still morning-- and they didn't understand why he was in such a mood, then, to put it bluntly, he'd call them an idiot.

First, there was that dream --it was enough to cause a heart attack (The boy was surprised he hadn't gotten one!)! Second, it was the dealings of his "alarm clock from hell", followed by his mother's "stealing of the sheets and pillow" act. Then, the devil-cat just _had_ to start off his usual "torture routine" by stealing Reiki's favorite blue ribbon --the one that a good friend had given him before he left America, if he might add--, only to lead him off in a "morning workout", of which included --but was not limited to-- an all-out scramble down the stairs followed-up by a sprint through the living room into the kitchen, around the table, a leap over his father's breakfast --causing the middle-aged man to almost spill his mug of coffee on his newspaper while thoroughly entertaining his younger brother Michael ("Rei, what--?" "Can't talk, Dad! Gotta kill the devil-cat!" "Yea! Go Bandit!" "Unless you wanna be next, Mike, I suggest you keep it up!" "…shutting up now…")--, back into the living room, and ending with a dive-bomb tackle onto the couch. (A/N: Whew! Whatta mouthful!)

So…yea. After adding the fact that his parents _did_ decide today was a good day to begin with the ritual "pester-to-get-a-haircut" routine at breakfast, it was easy to tell how pissed --no-- _irked_ Reiki was.

…Especially now, after getting plowed into by a certain someone as they were rounding the corner --and not paying attention apparently-- as he walked by!

…

Ok, so he'd been jogging.

…Well…maybe more like…dashing…

…_Ok_, so he'd been running, _too! _So, sue him! _But_, that still didn't give the one who'd ended up knocking him down --Reiki was _still_ on the ground, too-- the right to not look where they were going!

From his slightly sitting-up position, the blonde took a glance at the culprit, who turned out to be a raven-haired boy of about his own age --he was in a similar position as Reiki, only, currently, was being scolded by a brunette girl who was hovering over him and somehow succeeding in keeping her concern apparent.

"Yusuke, are you ok?", "I _told_ you to stop! You should've listened to me!" and words of a similar degree were being fired at the boy --apparently named Yusuke-- from every angle; sure didn't seem to be doing the young man's mood any good as he climbed to his feet…

Sounding annoyed, "Alright already! I get the point, Keiko!", the green-clad teen shot back his own remarks, engaging in quite an…_interesting_ conversation.

"Uhh…" Temporarily forgetting his anger, Reiki sweat-dropped at their strange antics, watching in stunned silence as the girl named Keiko pointed a finger in her companion's face, saying something about how rude it was for Yusuke to run away and ignore her like that, while Yusuke growled out his own response --something about how he wasn't in the mood for one of her lectures. It went on like this for quite a few minutes, of which during that time the sand-haired boy slowly got to his feet, dusted his jeans off, and retrieved his backpack from where it had fallen from his shoulder.

Reiki stood there --resisting the urge yell out as his thin patience tautened to the extreme-- as the couple continued to debate. A silent sigh escaped his lips; he could take it no longer. Clearing his throat, he decided to interrupt the duo, "Um, excuse me?"

Instantly, they both jumped, turning startled expressions on him. The boy blinked at him, while the girl blushed slightly in embarrassment.

The hazel-eyed teen cocked an eyebrow; it appeared they had forgotten he was there the whole time. And they had been arguing…in front of him…

He could hardly blame them for their reactions.

---

Yusuke didn't know how to respond. Here in front of him was this guy --he assumed he was male, though wasn't too sure because of the long hair-- whom was obviously the person he had collided with a few minutes ago during his attempted escape from Keiko.

Wait… This was the one who had _ran into him!_ Shouldn't he be apologizing by now?? Sure didn't look like the other guy was about to start anytime soon if the suppressed expression of irritation on his face was anything to go by. In fact, if Yusuke didn't know any better, he could've _sworn_ that the blond expected _Yusuke_ to apologize! Like heck that was going to happen! It could be a cold day in Hell and he _still_ wouldn't…

He began to open his mouth, intending to give this guy a piece of his mind…

"Sorry…"

Yusuke blinked. That hadn't been his voice. In fact, it had sounded like…

"It was an accident," Keiko continued, sincerity shimmering across her visage. "Yusuke wasn't paying attention to where he was going, but I'm sure he apologizes for running into you…" --The brunette directed a glare at the raven-haired boy, as if _daring_ him to say otherwise-- "_Don't you, Yusuke?_"

"Uhh…" The glare on him intensified, getting a nervous look to cross his face. "R-right," he managed to stammer, inwardly cringing. _'Man, can she be scary sometimes…'_

"…Actually…" The two of them jumped, turning to see that the other boy had a hand rubbing the back of his neck, a bit of a sheepish expression on his face. "Maybe _I_ should be apologizing, too…" His gaze was directed at his feet, making the awkwardness he felt apparent. "I…wasn't really paying attention to where I was going,…and, I was rushing…so I wouldn't be late --even though today I'm allowed to be…"

Ok…so he apologized, too.

…But, wait. Yusuke blinked again. What did this guy mean, today he was allowed to be late? Late for what? School? He sure didn't look dressed for that, unless he didn't feel like wearing a uniform or his school didn't require one… Maybe work? Could be… But then, why was he carrying a backpack…?? Yusuke decided he wanted to find out… This guy was just so…so strange. What with that sand-blonde hair that seemed to reach his waist --a length even longer than Kurama's hair reached-- and his eyes… They were hazel-green, and tilted slightly in a feline-like manner. Those traits alone were quite uncommon for someone in Japan to have. But that was a different matter! He just wanted to know…

"What do you mean, "you're allowed to be late today"…?"

Now it was the blonde's turn to blink. "Oh, well I guess I should have cleared that up --I'm bad at explaining things, you see…" --He admitted with a sheepish expression before answering-- "I just moved here, so it's my first day of school…"

Ah… Well, that explained things. It also cleared up the lack of school uniform.

At this moment, Keiko decided to jump in and play the welcoming committee. "Oh, you're new here?" At his nod, she gave a friendly smile. "Well, welcome to Tokyo!"

(A/N: Don't sue me if that's the wrong city! I haven't heard them mention it in the anime. …If they even do… - -;)

---

Well, it seemed things were looking up! Considering how bad the morning had been so far, the situation had improved rather nicely. Maybe smacking into someone only to land on his rear had been a blessing in disguise!

…

Perhaps Reiki was being too optimistic? Maybe… He may as well go with it, at least, as the brunette began the introductions.

"I'm Yukimura Keiko. And this is--"

"Name's Urameshi Yusuke --" The raven-haired teen cut off the girl. "--number one bad-ass at Meiou Private Academy," he announced proudly --albeit arrogantly--, mumbling the last part, "…though that doesn't sound as cool as Sarayashiki Junior High…"

Keiko gave the punk-looking Yusuke a look. "Yusuke, why do you always have to introduce yourself like that?"

"Because it seems to scare people, and it's fun to do that," he answered with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, stifling a laugh.

The girl just groaned in annoyance, causing her companion to lose the war he'd been in with his laughter.

The blonde looked on with amusement --seeming to have been forgotten about again, but remaining content with it-- as Keiko whapped Yusuke over the head with her fist, getting a choked "Ow!" out of the boy, succeeding in halting his chuckling.

The punk grumbled incoherently, rubbing the bump forming on the back of his head, as the brunette stood there, hand still raised in after-swing. Reiki made a mental note never to piss her off as she turned back to him, placing the smile back on her face.

"Don't mind Yusuke. He's actually a nice guy once you get to know him…"

He wondered if he should doubt her, until he remembered the phrase, "Looks can be deceiving". Guess he'd eventually find out if that statement was always true.

---

After introducing himself -- remembering to say his last name first, since that's how names were in Japan-- as Kaze Reiki (Yusuke's attention was caught by this for some reason.) and that he was also going to Meiou, the three of them set off, just noticing how much time had passed.

Basically, if they didn't move it, they'd be screwed. …Except for Reiki, of course, but he didn't like to be late.

Luckily, Keiko said, if they hurried they should arrive in five minutes and still have a bit of time before the bell rang.

She was right, too, Reiki observed, as the form of Meiou Private Academy's building loomed up ahead. It was then that the full intensity of the situation kicked in. Here he was, at a new school, in a different country, entering a sea of strangers, with none of his friends to support him. He may have become acquainted with Yusuke and Keiko, but he didn't know them well enough to consider them friends yet, nor did he know if he was to be sharing any classes with either of the two.

For the first time since arriving in Japan, Reiki felt nervous. And, as he strode past the many pairs of eyes belonging to students gathered outside to chat --Keiko directing him where the principal's office was before bidding the pair farewell (and hoping he may have at least one class with either of them)-- he wished for nothing more than to be back home in the tiny town on the east coast of America --too small to show up on a map, but not lacking in size--, attending the overcrowded high school, that --although overwhelming due to the large student population-- had always led Reiki to the familiar faces of his friends that never ceased to be glad to see him.

Taking in a deep breath, Reiki walked through the main door.

'Here goes nothing…'

---

Well...not much on the lines of humor... Or plot, for that much matter... '''XD Eheh... But, hey! It's longer, so no complaining! Funny thing is I typed up most of this today alone... X) Well, when motivation/inspiration strike, they refuse to go away.

Anyways, the thing with Rei-kun's surname... If you're trying to figure out why I chose "wind", don't bother. There's no hidden meaning or irony to it; I just like the word "kaze". :) Nothing more; nothing less.

And now, it's time for the review responses!

**-Mihi-kun: **::blinks:: Heh, it's another coincidence. XD ...Sorta.. Anyways, thanks! :)

**-Kawaii Kitsune Cub: **Ooh! Cookies!! :D Danke schoen! So glad you like this! It's so cool when fellow writers whose stories I read like my work..and my art! X) I'm on such an ego high right now... o.0' Ah well! XD Thanks again! :)

2 reviews. Not bad. X) Well, you guys know what to do. For now, though, I'm goin to bed... It's 1am here... ::swirly eyes:: Ehhhh... I'm off....

-Pegacorn (The Too-Tired-to-Type-Anything-Else-So-Bye-For-Now)-


	4. 12 31 04 Mission Revealed

****

**Disclaimer:** T T Must I be reminded every time? ::many answers of "YES!" are received:: … - -;

****

**A/N:** No time for a real author's note today. Gonna head to my aunt's house in a bit for a New year's party. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

And now, ch3... Enjoy!

Awakening Spirits

By Lisa Bako (aka "Pegacorn")

Chapter 3: The Mission Revealed!

Standing there, in the principal's office, he waited. Thinking; calculating the current situation.

When asked if it would be possible for him to show a new student around the school, Kurama had accepted, but he could not help but wonder, just what they would be like… He hadn't even been told their name; only that they were male and from America. Apparently, this was the main reason he'd been asked to show him around. Kurama was the top student in school, with straight A's in his English class. It was uncertain as to how well this transfer student would be able to speak Japanese, so he might need help in that area. He would be attending here, at Meiou Private Academy, starting today, and would need to be toured around the school for a bit that morning.

Kurama had been excused from class, of course; the principal had notified his first period teacher, so there was no problem. Now, all that was left to do was wait for this transfer student to arrive…

Just as he swept a hand through his long, red locks, a knock sounded upon the door, before the knob was turned.

In stepped someone he would not have expected. Waist-length, blond hair swayed behind him as he closed the door with a click, casting a quick glance at the red-head, before approaching the secretary's desk.

"Um…excuse me, miss…" He caught her attention, making her look up at him from the computer in front of her.

"Yes?"

"I'm…uh, here to…see the principal…" His voice shook with nerves, but in perfect --albeit slightly accented-- Japanese, none-the-less.

Could this be the new student? Kurama wondered…

If so, then it appeared his acting as translator would not be so needed after all.

The secretary seemed to catch the shakiness in the boy's tone just as well as Kurama had, for she smiled in a comforting way. "Oh, you must be the new student, am I correct?" He nodded in answer. "Principal Takenaka is expecting you --go right in." She gestured to the door opposite the first one he'd come through.

Glancing at the brown oak door-- "Arigato." --he strode towards it, before knocking, receiving a muffled "Enter", and disappearing into the office behind it.

---

Stopping just outside the door Keiko had directed him to, marked as the principal's office, Reiki's heart began to race. The butterflies in his stomach began to flutter intensely, causing him to become even more aware of how nerve-wracking this situation was.

New country, new city, new school…new friends. The full weight hadn't truly hit him until a few minutes ago, when he'd walked through the main door.

Ignoring the many students that were now milling past him to get to class, the blonde took in a breath, before opening the office door.

Closing it silently behind him, he took in his surroundings briefly, absently noting how much quieter it was in here than out in the hallway. The perfect place to sort through one's thoughts. But there was no time for that.

Catching a glance of a red-haired…someone --he didn't know whether to refer to the individual as male or female; their hair was almost as long as his!--, he approached the secretary's desk silently --all the while feeling the green orbs of the red-head set on the back of his skull, adding to his already hefty load of uneasiness-- as he conversed with the lady sitting behind the desk, getting directions to go through the door on the left. The door that led to the principal's office.

Thanking her, he made his way over to it, knocking lightly, almost wishing this "Principal Takenaka" wouldn't hear it, but receiving the response to enter, and so did so, shutting the only exit behind him. And thus, cutting off those calculating green eyes that had been boring holes into his head a moment ago.

Well, that was one less thing to worry about… Unfortunately--

The graying-brown-haired middle-aged man looked up from whatever paperwork he'd been going over to gaze at Reiki.

--that just meant he'd have to deal with something worse…

There went those butterflies again… If he'd known how tension-raising this would be, then he would've skipped breakfast…

Finally, the old guy spoke. "Ah, you must be Kaze-san." Waving his hand in front of him, he continued, "Please, sit down." before gazing back down at the folder full of papers in front of him.

Taking note of the pair of chairs placed in front of the desk, Reiki sat down stiffly on one of them --placing his bag on the floor beside him--, resting a hand on each arm.

As the principal looked up again, he noticed the unyielding death grip the boy seemed to have placed on the chair. "Relax, son. There's no need to be nervous." The blonde's hold loosened considerably, but his grip was not removed. This satisfied Takenaka enough, anyway, as he lifted the folder for the teen to see.

His hazel-green eyes gained a look of recognition, as he noticed the name written on the front. It was…

"You're records." The older man confirmed his thoughts. Flipping through them, "I've been looking through them for a bit. And I must say…" He trailed off for a moment, causing the youth to become apprehensive of what would be said next.

_'"I must say" **what?** What do you say?? Bad? Good? **Something???**' _The suspense was obviously getting to him…

"I'm quite impressed." The principal looked up with a smile.

Reiki just gaped at him. "…_What…?_"

"I said I'm impressed. You're grades from your old school are quite remarkable. Not many students can pull off maintaining an average quite so high in the beginning of the year. Even those who do not participate in after-school activities often have trouble doing so."

He could not help but feel a great deal lighter after hearing that. Had the principal --the highest power in a school-- just complimented him? _Him? Reiki??_ If Takenaka-san was awed by his grades _now_, then he would _really_ be in shock later, because --as he'd said-- those grades were from the start of the year. Only a month's worth of marks. And in the opening of each new school year, Reiki was at his laziest. His grades were at their _lowest_. The principal really _was_ in for a shocker…

---

Reemerging from Takenaka-san's office, Reiki glanced down at the sheet he had been handed, examining the classes it listed.

His schedule…

It would be a meager challenge to memorize it --his memory was fairly sharp. What _was_ the problem, though…

…was he had no clue if getting to each of these classes on time would be a difficult task or not, nor did he know how to identify what floor each took place on... At his old school, it was the way the room number was listed that told a student how to find the destination. The first number of the three digits was what indicated which of the three floors it was on.

But, with _these_ rooms… There were labeled with _letters,_ as well as numbers. How the heck did _that _work?? Did "A" mean first floor, and "B" mean second…? If so, then he guessed it made sense. But why not just use all numbers? He mentally shrugged. _'Oh well;…doesn't matter, really…'_

What _did_ matter was that he get toured around the school, as the principal had arranged.

He wasn't too sure whether he wanted to or not, but Takenaka had insisted he get toured around the building, anyway.

May as well go with it…

Reiki had been told that there would be a student waiting in the office who would show him around. A certain Minamino Shuichi.

Was that who the red-head was…?

Sure enough, they were still there, leaning against the wall, and --he just noticed-- clad in…a magenta outfit?? Was _that_ the school uniform?? Then…he'd be wearing… Oh, _what fun_…

---

Kurama caught the sound of the door on the left reopening, and turned to see the blond step back through it. He was holding a paper in his hand, currently examining its contents. No doubt his schedule. Judging by the look of his eyes --Kurama was a bit surprised at their being hazel-green, but did not show it--, he was milling something about in his head.

Perhaps trying to figure out where each of the rooms were? The tour would help in that area.

Finally looking up, he seemed to notice what Kurama was wearing --no doubt becoming aware that that was what male students had to wear, if the suppressed disgust on his face was anything to go by. It was quite amusing, really, seeing people's reactions to that bit of information. Was it really _that_ hard to believe that the uniforms were magenta…?

The corner of the new student's mouth was beginning to twitch in his constraint of a grimace.

…Guess so.

No time was left to dwell on that, though, as Principal Takenaka stepped through the door as well. "Shuichi…" The blond seemed to leap a foot in the air out of surprise. Amusedly, Kurama could've sworn he'd heard the boy's heart skip a beat.

Takenaka continued, undaunted, "This is Kaze Reiki. The new transfer student we've been expecting. So, if you could just show him around the school, and maybe take him to his class…" He let his words trail off, not needing to continue.

"Of course, Takenaka-san." He slightly bowed his head, politely.

The principal nodded back, before reentering his office and shutting the door.

So the new student's name was Kaze Reiki, eh? Quite an unusual name, "spirit energy"… Kurama briefly wondered how he'd come to have that name, before stepping forward and introducing himself.

---

Hmm…there sure were a lot of clouds in the sky… Maybe it would rain later… There seemed to be a lot of birds chirping, too… That breeze sure felt nice… And it got the loose hairs out of his eyes…

Based on how interesting those mundane things were right now, Yusuke could only come to one conclusion…

_'Damn it, **I'm bored!**'_ Sitting up from where he'd been lying on the pavement of the school roof, he ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, fighting back a yawn. And to think, he'd skipped class (Japanese history. He mentally shuddered.) only to avoid a situation like this, and what happened? He got bored anyway.

Flopping back on ground with a defeated sigh, he crossed his arms behind his head, giving in to the oncoming drowsiness.

What he wouldn't give for a good old-fashioned street brawl right about now--

"Yo!"

"Ack!" He sat up with a start, gazing around frantically, trying to find the disturbance.

"Up here."

Yusuke brought his gaze a few feet higher, only to see…

"Koenma?!"

Indeed, it _was_ the pint-sized prince of Reikai, dressed in his outfit of a long-sleeved blue shirt with a pink sash --matching the large hat bearing the "JR" emblem on the rim--, brown pants, and pacifier stuck in his mouth. His black-booted feet were…not touching the ground… In fact…he appeared to _hovering_ a few feet in the air.

"What the heck are _you_ doing here, Toddler?!"

"Nice to see you, too, Yusuke," was his flat response. "And I thought you were going to stop calling me that…" He added pointedly.

The teen snorted, crossing his arms smugly. "Heh. Fat chance at that."

Cue eyebrow twitch.

Then, something seemed to dawn on Yusuke. "Hold up." Pointing accusingly, "Don't tell me you're here to give me my latest mission!"

"Glad to know you're sharp enough to figure that out on your own." With a pop and a puff of smoke (causing Yusuke to choke briefly), there stood an older version of the spirit world ruler, with the "JR" written on his forehead --with pacifier still in place, if it may be noted--, only…

Yusuke blinked. "You're dressed in the school uniform…?"

"Thought I'd blend in."

Giving his "boss" a strange look, "Riiiight," he slowly got to his feet --not liking the thought of having to "look up to" the Reikai ruler--, while brushing gravel off the back of his clothes. "Isn't that more of Botan's thing?" He wondered aloud, stretching his stiff muscles.

The teenage Koenma shrugged. "So it is. Anyway, Yusuke, there are much more important matters to discuss…" His face suddenly took on a more serious expression. "Your mission, for example."

Yusuke paused in his ministrations, having his full attention caught by the humorless edge in that tone.

"Recently, Spirit World intelligence has been picking up strange readings. Readings coming from _this_ city…" His voice grew grave. "Readings…of **_demon energy_**."

Those words hit Yusuke like a shock of lightning, but he managed to keep his cool. "So you're saying there're a bunch of demons on the loose?"

His answer was a negative head shake. "Not necessarily… I only said we've been picking up readings of demon _energy_. _Not_ that there have been demon sightings."

He rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "Well, _yea_, 'cause _that_ makes sense!"

Koenma flattened his eyes at the youth. "This is serious, Yusuke. It is important we find out what the cause of this is, before it gets worse…"

Well, _that_ seemed to hint that some unpleasant times would be ahead…

"Just how bad is it?"

"Well… So far, we've only been detecting faint flickers here and there. No exact location has been pinpointed."

"Then, couldn't it just be Hiei?" He brought up a good point. The fire demon was usually found (only when he _felt_ like being seen, though) flitting around the city --quite literally--, having been put on parole after his first encounter with Yusuke.

Koenma considered the teen's implication. "While that could be a possibility under different circumstances," --A head shake.-- "no. We've been able to track Hiei's movements every now and then --however briefly-- and it is quite clear that this energy is definitely not his."

This sparked a realization. "…So the city really _is_ being overrun with demons…"

"While that hasn't yet been established…" The Reikai ruler closed his eyes with a sigh, a frown marring his features. "I'm afraid it's beginning to look that way…"

Frowning, too,-- _'Well…'_ --Yusuke turned his gaze skyward as some birds flew by overhead.-- _'So much for being bored…'_

---

He can say _that_ again! XD  
Damn, this chapter is really long! Over 2,000 words... And I wanted to extend the section with Kurama and Reiki, too... ::swirly eyes:: Ehhh... Only reason I didn't is cuz I couldn't figure out how to continue.. - -;  
But, anyway... On to the review responses, before I run out of time!

**-Mihi-kun: **The plot will reveal itself soon; don't worry about that... :)

**-Danah: **Yay, you reviewed! All I can say is this... All will be revealed with time. In other words..."You'll find out later." ;) As for Reiki being feminine...::snicker:: X) All for the sake of future torture... >:) Cuz it's freakin funny! XD Heheh!

Well, thas all.  
Once again, happy new year! :D

-Peg (now it's off to my aunt's house where I will pig out on all the food my dad ordered for the party! X) )-


	5. 05 25 06 Mystery

**Disclaimer**: Oh, come on! Why would I bother to write fanfiction if I owned the series?

**A/N**: Whoa... This is long overdue, now isn't it? (sweatdrops) Well, I didnt die if thas what you're all thinking. I just got _really_ side-tracked (coughlazycough), and got a serious case of writer's block with most of this chapter. I finally seemed to kinda beat it yesterday, and BAM! I got the chapter done. You all probably wanna read instead of listening to me ramble on with my excuses, so I'll shut up now.

As always, enjoy!

**Awakening Spirits**

By Lisa Bako (AKA "Pegacorn")

Chapter 4: Mystery of the New Student

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

The constant thrumming of his pencil against the wooden desk was all that was keeping him from drifting off into dreamland. Kuwabara _knew_ he should be paying attention to the lesson, but it was just so _boring._ And _confusing!_

The teacher's voice was like a monotone hum as he explained the notes on the board. Something about the quad-rat formula, or something like that…

Head held up only by a fist against his cheek, the red-head looked on in a dazed state, close to entering cloud nine. His eyes were halfway shut as the world began to fade out, his pencil's movement slowly coming to a halt…

_Knock-knock!_

Kuwabara's head shot up so fast that the world did a flip-flop in front of his eyes. He ended up having to blink a few times before everything came back into focus. That was when he noticed the classroom door slide open, before someone stepped into view…

He blinked. '_Kurama?'_ What was _he_ doing here?

The room had gotten noticeably noisier at the red-head's entrance. Many whispers and murmurs went around the room—predominantly by the female half. Some went even farther than that—waving to get his attention, smiling seductively, and blinking in what they thought to be a flirtatious manner. All this was much to the annoyance of the male students in the room.

And yet Kurama paid them no mind as he conversed briefly with the teacher before turning back to the door, signaling for someone out in the hall to enter.

If Kuwabara thought the volume level was high _now_, then it was nothing compared to how it was to be in the next second…

---

The tension was growing again. He could feel it. Every nerve in his body was at its most taught—even worse than when he'd been sitting in the principal's office, because Takenaka had been able to lighten the mood before it had gotten unbearable. But now…

His nerves felt stiffer than a bokken. And that was really stiff! Kendo swords were made of wood, slightly bent to mimic the curve of a katana. Speaking of kendo…

Reiki couldn't even recall feeling this way at his first kendo match. Sure, he'd been nervous, but he'd known most of the people there! He didn't have to show them who he was, so it was no big deal if he'd messed up, miss-stepped, or ended up looking like a fool, because they knew he wasn't one.

…_But now…_

Hazel eyes caught the motion Shuichi sent his way, signaling for him to enter the room.

…_would be different…_

Every move would be judged…

Every word would be used to determine his personality…

Every single aspect of Reiki's first impression would determine if he would fit in in this school…

In _his_ mind, at least.

He took a breath in attempt to gain a sense of calm—to no avail—before finally taking the steps that would, in his mind, either lead to the path of new friends and fitting in, _or_…cause this year to become a living hell.

Going home only to have to tolerate a devilish cat and an irksome younger brother were actually starting to look good right now…

---

Walking swiftly through the halls after showing the blonde the layout of the school, Kurama headed to his own class, allowing his mind to remain on this interesting new puzzle…

_The new student._

First off, he was from America, but had been able to speak perfect Japanese. That in itself was quite an impressive accomplishment, seeing as Japanese was one of the more difficult languages to learn.

Then, there was his appearance… His flaxen locks were so long that, even in a ponytail, they had gone down to his waist. That was even longer than the red-head's hair reached—stopping at mid-back. Another thing…his eye color; it was quite startling, that hazel-green. Almost seemed unnatural for them to be that shade, it was so uncommon. But then…it wasn't like _Kurama_ was very normal-looking either, with his emerald eyes and blood-red tresses.

The most unusual thing about the exchange student, by far, had to be his name… Reiki. It meant "aura"…"_spirit energy"… _Why would someone name their child as such?

'**Good question, Fox.'**

The familiar low voice that resounded through his head caught him by surprise, though he didn't show it as he came to a halt. Kurama looked out the window to his left, up in the branches of a tree where he could see that a dark shadow had taken residence. He recognized its energy signature almost immediately.

'_Greetings, Hiei.'_

'**Hn.'** Was the telepathic response he received; typical for the unsociable fire demon.

'_What brings up your unexpected arrival, if I may ask?'_

'**Haven't you noticed anything strange going on?'**

The red-head's brow crinkled in thought. '_Such as…?'_

He heard the voorime's mental scoff. '**Don't tell me you haven't noticed the strange energy readings that started appearing recently?'**

He frowned. '_You're referring to the spikes of demon energy that have been occurring, I assume.'_ It was more of a statement than a question, really.

'**Hn.'**

He took that as a yes. '_What would you propose we should do, then?'_

A pause indicated Hiei was mulling it over, before…

'**If this really is a threat, then sooner or later, those fools in Spirit World will catch wind of it, and eventually call on the Detective to take care of it.'**

'_So, in other words…'_

'**We wait.'** There was a bitter note lacing those words, indicating just how _little_ he enjoyed the thought of doing so, which amused Kurama somewhat. The kitsune-turned-human was about to point this out, when a sudden "ripple" was felt resonating through the air, cutting his thoughts away from their path, towards this new occurrence.

He narrowed his green gaze slightly, allowing it to drift upwards in the direction of the disturbance.. '_Speak of the devil…' _the fox thought to himself before directing his thoughts back at the fire demon. '_Did you sense that, Hiei?'_

'**Hn…' **The dark demon also let his eyes travel upwards. '…**it's the Spirit World Brat,'** he confirmed in a tone that indicated his disgust.

Kurama's tone turned thoughtful. '_Must be here with our latest assignment…'_

'**Hn. Most likely—the Detective's with him.'** With that, he disappeared in a blur of black, too quick to see with the human eye.

'_With Yusuke, is he? His class this period is history. They'll be on the roof, then…' _Starting forward again so it wouldn't appear as if he were loitering in the halls, he headed towards the stairs.

---

Glad to have survived the first half of the day, Reiki thought back to some of the more interesting moments of his classes as he looked for a suitable spot outside to eat his lunch in peace…

_After introducing himself, he had earned some surprised stares; most were after he'd said he had moved here from America, but there had also been a few strange looks at the mention of his name. Especially from the orange-haired guy he was now sitting next to—he could literally _feel _his beady eyes on him occasionally, in fact. It was a bit unnerving, really…_

'Is the name "Reiki" really that strange?' _he thought in annoyance._ 'I'll admit it's not common, but _still_, I wish this guy would find something more interesting to stare at, 'cause he's starting to get on my nerves!' _Feeling his eyebrow begin to twitch, he resisted the urge to ask the big oaf what his problem was, instead trying to concentrate more on the current lesson their teacher was lecturing about. _'The quadratic formula, eh?' _He sighed quietly._ 'Way too easy.' _Finding that this proved to be a failing distraction, Reiki decided to turn his gaze out the window instead, all the while ignoring the gaze he could still feel boring into him._

Of course, his teacher had caught him not paying attention, and had called upon him to answer the problem on the board. He then, in turn, wound up nearly giving the poor guy a heart attack when he briefly glanced at the equation, quickly wrote something down in his notebook, and turned out the right answer—all within five seconds.

Math always _was_ one of his strong subjects.

Too bad he sometimes tended to be lazy when it came to homework.

…_Oh, well…_

The rest of the day proved to go smoothly enough. He had been happy to learn that he shared biology class with Keiko. He found out from her that Yusuke was in that class as well, but he seemed be absent at the moment, which greatly annoyed Keiko as he sensed from the tone of her voice. The blonde added that to his earlier reminder to himself of not to aggravate her. After that, he was surprised to find himself in the same English class as Minamino. It appeared Reiki had ended up in the advanced class! It must've been because he was from America and already knew English…

Focusing once more on his surroundings, he was displeased to find that there weren't many good spots available. To make matters worse, a lot of feminine eyes were pointed in his direction, watching his every move like he was a choice piece of meat for the picking. Reiki did his best to ignore them— which wasn't easy— as he continued his search.

Aha! There was a place! Right in the shade of that tree over there. And most of the students were at a tolerable distance away.

He mentally smiled to himself.

_Perfect._

---

Leaning back against the tree with his hands folded behind his head, Reiki decided to spend the rest of his lunch period enjoying the relief from the sunlight the shade offered. He'd been pretty much undisturbed, if he didn't include that one girl who came up to him and introduced herself— Shina, he believed she said her name was— , obviously flirting with him. Not wanting to be rude— though he _was_ somewhat annoyed (for good reason, if he might add)— he told her his own name, being sure to act politely uninterested. After a few minutes of boredly chatting with her, she seemed to finally get the message that he wasn't in the mood for her company. Rather than admitting this, she got this fake cheerful expression on her face— he could tell she was hiding her anger— and said she'd just remembered she had something she had to go deal with, before walking off in a poorly concealed huff. Reiki had blinked after her form, but then shrugged and turned back to his lunch.

He hoped that'd be the last he'd have to hear from that girl. She really wasn't his type.

'_Besides…'_ he thought to himself with a nostalgic smile, letting his fingers rest on the blue ribbon securing his hair, '_I'm already taken…'_

It was then that he felt it. A sudden tingle at the back of his mind. He couldn't figure out what it was, but it was enough to cause him to sit straight up in surprise, hazel eyes looking around in confusion to try to decipher where this strange feeling was coming from. It was almost as if someone was watching him. Not like those girls from earlier had been— thankfully, most of the other students had gone off somewhere.

No. This feeling was _much_ stronger.

…_Piercing…_

That was the only way he could describe it. It was as if something were trying to intrude his mind, invade his thoughts, to see right through to his very being. He didn't know what it was. He just knew that he didn't like it.

_Then he sensed it._

There was a presence nearby… Someone, or some_thing_, that was watching him… And it seemed to be somewhere…_above_ him…

He stiffened.

Steeling his courage, he slowly turned his head to aim his hazel-green at the branches above, only to see…

…_absolutely nothing._

He blinked.

Strange thing was, that feeling that had come over him was gone. Just like that, as suddenly as it came.

_Vanished._ Just like what he was sure had been above him, watching him.

"Um…" he gaped, unsure of what just happened. Had he been imagining things? Must've been, since there was no other logical explanation…

A bell rang, knocking him out of his stupor.

He looked at his watch. "Oh, shit!" That had been the warning bell, signaling the end of free period. "I'm gonna be late!"

---

From their owner's perch atop the school roof, a pair of red orbs watched the figure of Reiki Kaze grab his bag and run off in a hurry. A dark brow covered with a white bandana lowered in thought.

How had he been able to sense him reading his mind? He'd done it so stealthily, too— waiting for just the right moment, when he'd been deep in thought, completely off guard.

Another thing…

How had the boy noticed he'd been in the branches above?

Had he somehow been careless in hiding his youki? He frowned. Impossible! He was _never_ careless. Carelessness cost one's life. And besides, if that had been the case, most humans couldn't sense demonic energy, unless they were freaks like Kuwabara, which was a rare thing.

Hiei had to wonder…

_Just what was it with this boy named "spirit energy"…?_

_---_

Sorry, no review responses this time, minna-san. It's not allowed. I can only respond directly to signed reviews (sorry anonymous people! I'd respond to you, too, if I could).

Ok, so...it's past 5am, I'm freakin' tired, so I'm gonna go pass out now (so glad the semester ended 2 weeks ago... X.x). I'll start on the next chapter as soon as I can, cuz I actually know exactly how I wanna start it this time.

'Til next time!

-Peg-


	6. 06 19 07 Saturdays

**A/N: **...yea...I should really be apologizing for how long this chapter took to write, but I know you won't buy it/won't care what reasons I give/just wanna read, so I won't bother this time. (sweatdrop) Enjoy the chapter, minna-san!

...though it seems kinda more like filler to me...

**Awakening Spirits**

By Lisa Bako (AKA "Pegacorn")

Chapter 5: I Thought Saturdays Were Supposed to Be Good…

_It was Saturday._

Those three words had to be the greatest for any student to think of after waking up in the morning.

If Reiki had been 9 years old, he would've been jumping up and down while chanting "Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!" over and over again.

…much like a certain younger brother was doing a little ways down the hall.

That would probably also explain why the blond was awake right now.

_At 8am._

Reiki groaned, pulling the covers over his head to try to muffle out his otouto's seemingly unending yelling.

Someone had to teach that boy about the concept of sleeping in! Maybe hitting him over the head with his own pillow would do the trick…

_…Wait a sec…_

His eyes snapped open as he remembered something. If it was 8am here, then that would mean…

Flinging himself out of bed, all thoughts of sleep forgotten, he quickly turned on his computer, waiting for it to boot up before launching his instant messenger program. He smiled to himself at seeing the familiar names listed in his buddy window, the smile turning into a smirk as another window popped up in the middle of the screen.

K00lGuy862: well look what the cat dragged in

He grinned at the greeting. That was so like Chris. He was about to type a response when he received another message.

K00lGuy862: wouldn't think you'd be on now. it's like, what, morning over there, right? surprised you're not out cold (laugh)

He rolled his eyes in amusement before typing.

BlondShinimori: Haha, very funny. For your information, I WOULD be sleeping right now, but you know how Mike is when it comes to Saturdays… (sighs)

K00lGuy862: heh, this is why I'm glad I'm an only child (smirk)

A blond brow rose.

BlondShinimori: …I'm about to block you…

K00lGuy862: dude! you know I was just kidding, right?

BlondShinimori: (smirks) So was I.

K00lGuy862: …I knew that.

BlondShinimori: Uh-huh. Sure you did.

He snickered quietly to himself. It was always so easy to tease Chris. But then…

K00lGuy862: well 'least I don't have to worry about getting up early on a Saturday

…Chris always seemed to find it easy to tease Reiki, too.

That was just the kind of friendship they had—full of jibes and insults that would make anyone wonder how they were friends in the first place. But they both knew that neither meant it when they poked fun at each other; it was just how they made conversation. Truth was…

…Chris was one of the few people Reiki could call a best friend. He had made three best friends during his time in America, the other two of which were currently not online. Understandable, considering it was Friday night on the east coast of the US. Which got him wondering…

BlondShinimori: Hey, Chris?

K00lGuy862: yea, dude?

BlondShinimori: It's 7 there, right? I would think you'd be out somewhere, y'know?

K00lGuy862: (smirk) who says I'm not?

BlondShinimori: (browraise) That's why you're online now. Right. Makes sense.

K00lGuy862: oh, shut up. and for your information I AM going out soon, in an hour in fact

BlondShinimori: Ah, going on a date with Meg I take it.

K00lGuy862: (grin) damn straight

Thinking of what to respond with, Reiki's fingers paused above the keyboard as the reason for his being up now decided to noisily run past his door, chanting what sounded like "Cartoons cartoons cartoons" over and over again. The blond blinked at said door for a second, contemplating something.

"Heck's he get all that energy from?" he thought out loud.

His attention got brought back to the glowing computer screen at receiving another message.

K00lGuy862: listen, I should go now, gotta get ready and head over to Meg's house to pick her up

BlondShinimori: Alright. I was thinking about getting revenge on Mike now anyway…

K00lGuy862: (laughs) ok, seeya dude

BlondShinimore: Later.

**"K00lGuy862 signed off."** appeared in the IM box at the same time as the sound of a door slamming.

"Ex-ing" out the window, Reiki put up his away message before pushing back from his computer desk and exiting the room with the deliberate stride of a hunter stalking its prey.

On the screen, in a small window to the left were the words "Killing the little brother. (_If anyone asks, I was sleeping!_) Be back later."

---

_Panic._

That was the best word to describe how life at the Kaze residence currently was.

Katherine Kaze was in an uproar. That was the only way Reiki could think to put it. Normally his mother was a very kind-hearted and understanding woman, one who could make anyone feel welcome in their home.

But right now the blond wished he didn't live here.

"—one dust the tables! Still need to polish the silverware. Now where'd I put that vacuum?—"

Apparently, Reiki and Mike's grandparents were due to show up that night—a fact that a certain son of said grandparents had just found out when he answered the phone that Saturday morning.

They had done this on purpose to catch them off-guard; he was sure of it…

"Are you even listening to me?!"

The male members that made up the rest of the household—including the cat Bandit (who had taken up his usual spot on Reiki's head, but now seemed to be regretting it for once)—flinched.

"Uhh—yes dear!"

"H-hai, 'kaa-san."

"Er, yea, mom!"

"Meraow!"

"Good," Mrs. Kaze responded, looking at them all expectantly for a few moments, before continuing, "Well?!" making them all jump again. "What are you waiting for?! Move out, boys! Chop chop!" before turning to start her attack on the kitchen and make it spotless.

May grime beg for mercy…

Michael peeked out from his hiding place halfway behind his brother with wide eyes, not daring to speak until his mother—whom he was suspecting might be related to Mr. Hyde—was out of sight behind the kitchen door. "Mom's really scary…"

Shigoto Kaze laughed nervously, adjusting his glasses. "Er, well…you know how your mother gets when relatives visit."

"She wasn't this bad last time," Reiki pointed out, raising a blond brow.

That earned him his father's trademark "dead serious" look. "Because last time she found out a week in advance."

The boys—along with Bandit—blinked. "…ah/maow."

Shigoto sighed. "Yea…seems my parents found out we were here already and decided it'd been too long since they last saw us and had to come by as soon as possible. Something about how the 'little darlings' grow up so fast," he finished with some amusement tingeing his voice.

Reiki cringed after a moment. "They're going to say something about my hair again, aren't they?"

The older man rubbed his chin with a "hmm," giving his son an appraising look. "Well…you know Rei, perhaps you _should—_"

He sighed in annoyance, cutting his father off before he ended up having to hear the "haircut speech" for the third time that week. "Please don't start with that again, 'tou-san."

His father chuckled. "Alright, but you know what they're going to say… _Anyway…_" He glanced at the closed kitchen door, listening to the telltale signs of his wife imposing war against all things filth. Sure she wasn't listening, he lowered his voice to a whisper, talking behind his hand, "_Run for it, boys…_"

All three blinked at him again, this time in confusion. "Eh?"

He continued to speak in subdued tones. "_I'm serious. You know how bad your mother gets, right?_" At their nods, he continued. "_Well, just think about it. Normally she has a week or more to get the place up to her 'guest-welcoming standards,' but this time, with her needing to cram all that work into one day…_" He let his sentence break off, seeing that they finally got it, if their eyes getting twice as big weren't sign enough. Hearing the water start running as a signal that Katherine had chosen the dishes as her next victim, he brought his voice back to a normal volume. "You better go while you've got some noise pollution to mask your escapes, you know."

Reiki and Mike looked at their dad, then looked at each other—Bandit briefly glancing at all of them—before racing up the stairs at a speed that would make Hiei—if they knew who he was—envious.

They had to hurry.

---

The slightly disheveled form of Yusuke Urameshi stomped down the sidewalk, fuming and muttering to himself. "Stupid Koenma…sending us off on some stupid mission…have better things to do on a Saturday morning…like _sleeping in!_" The last part was yelled out loud, startling some birds from a nearby tree.

It also caused Kuwabara to jump in surprise when he'd been falling asleep on his feet—practically sleepwalking—and Kurama to shake his head in amusement. He was used to getting up early, so this was no big deal for him. As for Hiei…well, he wasn't there at the moment. No one had been able to find him. Not surprising, really, and he'd show when he wanted to, so no one was concerned about that.

They'd been sent off on a mission right away. Apparently, the random readings of demon energy were becoming more frequent, something the Spirit World Prince was becoming increasingly worried about, and with good reason. They needed to figure out what was causing these readings, so he'd sent—or at least tried to send—the whole team out to check out the latest location where the youki had appeared.

_Perhaps there would be some sort of clue…_

Yusuke continued to rant and rave to himself about "stupid toddlers", "how pointless this was", and how they "hadn't even found anything".

_…but obviously there hadn't been any clues, if Yusuke's muttered words were anything to go by._

"Yusuke," Kurama's calm voice of reason broke into Yusuke's fuming "Perhaps we should try the compass again," he suggested as more of a way to distract the detective from his incessant raving.

They'd been given the Spirit Detective Item to aid in their search, just in case a situation such as this came up. Unfortunately…

"Don't know what good it's gonna do. Damn thing didn't pick up on anything the last time I looked at it…" Despite his words, Yusuke pulled back the left sleeve of his jacket to look at the watch-like device.

Gazing at the compass with an expression bordering on apathetic, the detective pushed the button on the side to activate it…

He blinked, stopping in his tracks. "What the hell?!"

Kuwabara seemed to come more awake, stopping also to look at his friend expectantly. "What? It find something?"

"The thing's going crazy!"

"What?!"

"See for yourself!" He held the compass out towards his spirit sword-wielding companion. Kurama peered at it also.

The thing indeed _did_ seem to be going crazy. Currently the hand was spinning around so fast they were surprised it wasn't smoking. But what did that mean?

"…surprised 'tou-san let us go like that…"

"Yea…wonder why…"

The three of them looked up, hearing voices coming from up ahead. Voices that seemed to be coming from around the corner. A corner that looked _very_ familiar to Yusuke. And that first voice…

"Eh," they seemed to say with a shrug, "oh well. Let's just hope things calm down later."

…where had they all heard it before?

---

Okers. Thas it for now. Oh, and the next chapter picks up right from where this one ends. I actually originally had it as part of this one, but then I couldn't figure out how I'd end it if it were included, so I just said "Screw it!" and made it the beginning of chapter 6. Also means you get this a little sooner than planned, which is always a good thing, ne? (grin)

Alright then. You know what to do. (coughs and points with head towards review button) Heh. X)

-Pega (Leowolf with an identiy crisis)  
**End 4:00am (yesh I'm insane)**


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